How to Clean Urine Smell From Carpet

Household pets can cause urine smell in carpets.

The smell of urine can linger in carpet if not treated quickly and properly. Indoor pets often leave these scents behind. Prevention is the best way to solve the problem, so if you have a litter box on carpet, put down a pad for protection. Never use an ammonia product, especially if you have pets in your house. "The smell may attract the cat to that area and can encourage cats to urinate in the area," according to The Ohio State University's Indoor Cat Initiative. A few household ingredients are all it takes to rid your carpet of urine smell.

Things You'll Need

• Paper towels
• Baking soda
• Club soda
• Cleaning sponge
• 2 spray bottles
• Water
• White distilled vinegar
• Vacuum

Instructions

1. Blot the stain with dry paper towels as soon as you notice a mess.

2. Sprinkle the affected area with baking soda, using just enough to cover the stain. Let set for about one hour to absorb as much moisture as possible.

3. Vacuum the baking soda from the area.

4. Saturate the area with some club soda and work into the stain with a cleaning sponge or paper towels. Allow to dry completely.

5. Make a mixture of 1 oz. vinegar to 16 oz. water in a spray bottle.

6. Spray the affected area generously with the vinegar mixture. Allow the vinegar to dry completely without rinsing. The vinegar smell may remain for a couple of days, but the urine smell will be completely gone.

References

• Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine: How to Clean Up Cat Urine